The Changing Tides
by MaelstromBankai
Summary: When Aang reached out for outside help, he never expected to make contact with a being that surpassed the Avatar. When Naruto sealed the Progenitor within himself, he did not expect to be contacted by a strange dead man. Ripples were formed, now let the waves crash and tear through the old destiny of a certain young Avatar.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Prologue: A New Player…**

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><p>He stared at the vast expanse of white space with raised brows, strangely unconcerned with these strange turn of events. Glancing about his surroundings, ignoring the bangs that virtually covered his right eye, he found the space devoid of any life other than himself. It was a tad disconcerting that he had been transported from the battlefield just after sealing the Progenitor within himself, but he wasn't one to lose his composure.<p>

Crossing his arms, he glanced down at his feet. Curiously, despite how impossible it should be, the 'surface' he was standing on was rippling. In fact, if he was honest with himself, it was near identical to most water bodies.

How that was possible eluded him. However, as he stared down at snow-white hair, paler skin and strange demonic eyes, the image blinked and smirked at him. Waving cheekily, the replica faded as the ripples appeared again.

He watched, a tad interested now, as more images formed on the odd screen. A strange man, with a cunning smile and laid-back appearance, was running away from two guards. He moved with a grace that he had seen in the Sarutobi clan, moving as nimbly as a monkey through the trees.

That same youth, now a lot older, coming across two odd creatures locked in combat. Rolling his eyes at the obvious symbolism, he watched as the darkness said something to the youth. When the man began to hack away at the tentacles that bound both creatures together, he only sighed and shook his head.

By the time the youth confronted the manifestation of darkness, his interest in the images was beginning to wane. It was annoying watching history repeat itself even in the strange world.

More images began to play, showcasing the lives of unique individuals. While they were all different, they all had two traits that were identical; the ability to use four elements as well as the strange yet powerful state they went into from time to time. If he was assuming things right, then that mode had been formed when that youth kept merging with the incarnation of light. So, the people he was seeing were all reincarnations of that one man and creature.

The images soon came to an end, freezing on the face of a young woman. From what he could tell, she was from that same tribe as the other dark-skinned female, wearing the same tribal clothing as her. She looked like she was upset with something and was venting her frustrations to the air.

"I take it your interest was piqued?"

He made no sign of surprise as the space before him distorted and a young man appeared before him. He was middle-aged, standing taller than himself with long robes in shades of yellow and orange, as well as a wooden necklace. He was bald, with a blue arrow on his forehead, and had a pleasant expression.

He shrugged, "Suppose it was?" His voice was odd; light, yet still thrumming with power. It almost sounded like an echo, but that didn't make any sense.

The man smiled, "What if you were given the opportunity to satisfy that curiosity?"

He arched a brow, "I'd start by asking who the hell you are. It's hard to negotiate with someone when you have no idea what they're called."

The man chuckled nervously, "Yes, I can see your point. My name is Aang, the former Avatar."

He gave a curt nod in return, "My name is Naruto. If you don't mind me asking, why did you bring me here?" He gestured to their surroundings, "You didn't even bother with decorating the place. Even some animals and plants would've made this place less boring and dull."

Aang smiled briefly at the comment before getting serious, "In actuality, I wasn't actively searching for you Naruto. As a spirit, the extent of my power is very limited and encountering a being as powerful as you should never have happened. To be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are why we're meeting in this plane of existence." Seeing Naruto narrow his eyes, the dead Avatar continued. "Anyways, I was searching for any possible help for the next Avatar since she's having some problems dealing with the issues of my world."

"And when you say Avatar, what exactly do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"The Avatar is the human embodiment of light and peace through the connection with the Avatar Spirit. As the only physical being with the ability to bend all four elements, it is considered the Avatar's duty to master the four bending arts and use that power to keep balance among the four nations of the world, as well as between mankind and spirits." Aang said. "Unfortunately, my successor is unprepared to deal with the threat that approaches. She lacks the mentality and connection to the Avatar Spirit that most of my predecessors and I had," he explained.

"And you want me to help her out, despite the fact that I have nothing at stake in this." Aang made to speak, but Naruto cut him off. "Even the little interest I have in your skills isn't enough to make me curious to investigate. Your currency would be worthless even if I was interested to begin with, I thought up several different ways to kill you benders while I was watching and I have no such inclination to help out your people. So I ask you, Avatar Aang," Crimson eyes with tomoe designs stared hard at him, immobilizing his body with its intense gaze. "Why should I help you in your endeavor?"

Aang clenched his fist as silence reared its head. Truthfully, he had nothing to entice Naruto to agree and they both knew it. Each suggestion that had popped into his mind was brutally shredded during the young man's little speech and he doubted that tempting him with the promise of strong fighters would work since he spoke so dismissively about the past Avatars.

However, he couldn't give up just because he had no argument to convince Naruto. All the other warriors he had sought out were unsuited for the task at hand, too weak to contribute anything or lacked the proper resolve and outlook necessary for what was to come. Having glimpsed some of Naruto's memories, Aang knew that if he lost this chance then the Avatar Cycle may just end with Korra.

Naruto was the perfect person for the job, and Aang would be damned if he just gave up like this.

"_**Allow me to cut in, Rikudou Sennin."**_ The voice was cold, ancient and powerful, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Aang whirled about in surprise, thrown off by the presence that was beginning to manifest above them, while Naruto just uncrossed his arms and glanced upwards.

There, grinning down at him with a face that inspired terror and horror amongst all living things, stood a god he had met more times than he'd like to mention. Unlike last time, where it had approached him in a human form, it stood before him in all its unearthly glory; a translucent gaunt specter with a demonic visage. It was much larger than an average human, possessing long, shaggy white hair, from which two red horns protruded, and dark greyish blue-coloured skin. It was draped in a large white garments and carries a set of prayer beads. A tantō was in its mouth, encased by sharp, jagged teeth.

"Shinigami-sama," Naruto greeted, bowing lowly. "I take it you facilitated Aang's search and directed him towards me?"

The being grinned, a terrifying visage that made the former Avatar take a step back. Even Koh and the Mother of Faces hadn't inspired that much fear and revulsion that this Shinigami had. _**"Yes, I suppose you could say that. I normally wouldn't have bothered with this Avatar's attempts, but since it concerns my favorite human and dear Raava, I felt like lending a little hand."**_

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "You want me to go, don't you?"

Shinigami floated down towards them, shrinking in size until it was their height. The horned abomination's smile turned malicious, _**"But of course. I can't let dear Raava shoulder such burdens all by herself…and this works out for me as well."**_

Naruto glanced at Aang, but the spirit looked just as confused as he felt. "What is your connection with this Raava character? I doubt that you'd care so much about some random spirit…so what makes her so special to you?"

It waved its hand, _**"It hardly concerns you; my reasons are my own, and you're not strong enough to force them out of me…or should I say, you're not 'skilled' enough to do so."**_ Grinning at his scowl, the deity turned to Aang, _**"Let your past lives know that you've found someone to help the current Avatar. Naruto-san and I have some business to discuss."**_

Noting the dismissal, Aang nodded and spoke to Naruto, "I'll be waiting at the border between this world and mine. If you're willing to come, just go straight ahead and you'll see me there." With that said, he darted off into the distance, his form disappearing from view.

Now that the two were alone, Naruto focused on the Shinigami, "What is your real reason for wanting me to go deal with their problems?" he demanded. "It can't be because of some spirit, you're too much of an asshole for that excuse to hold any weight."

The Shinigami let out a boisterous laugh, the sound more terrifying than anything he had heard. _**"You're as mouthy as ever, but then again you wouldn't be quite so interesting if you were polite all the time. Let's just say that there are some souls out there that I wouldn't mind having in my grasp."**_

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "And why did you pick me for this little 'soul hunt' of yours? Any reasonably skilled person should've been good enough for the job." He could hazard a guess as to why the Shinigami wanted him out of the Elemental Nations, but the Shinigami had never really been one for having clear reasons for doing stuff outside of his responsibilities.

"_**You're a smart person, why don't you try and figure it out? Still, I'd better get moving if I were you."**_

"And what makes you think that I'm _going_?"

When the Shinigami grinned once again, Naruto grew wary. When its arm clasped his shoulders, he had to force down his reflex to attack. However, when it whispered a few words in his ear, his eyes bulged out and he froze.

Pulling back, the Shinigami's grin widened. _**"So, do you still have any objections?"**_

Naruto clenched his fists, his tomoe spinning furiously. "You magnificent bastard…" Again, Naruto was reminded of why the Shinigami was regarded as the biggest threat to the Eye of the Moon Plan. Even now, when he was but a moment away from completion, the Shinigami still managed to find a way to screw him over.

It wasn't like he could do anything to it; he had no idea what new abilities he had gained, how badly his chakra control had been damaged due to sealing the equivalent of a god in his body or what abilities the Shinigami had.

The Shinigami held all the cards…and Naruto hated that fact.

"_**Don't worry, Naruto. It's not like you're being exiled from this world. So long as you bring me interesting souls, I will allow the Infinite Tsukuyomi to occur."**_

With a scowl at the Death God, Naruto began to walk towards Aang, ignoring the mocking laughter of the Shinigami that echoed behind him.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Alright! My last post before school-prison calls me back!**_

_**This is a sister story to 'The Reborn Legend', which deals with the changes Naruto will bring to the Korraverse without him being a bender. Now, seeing as this is an extremely reluctant Naruto, expect him to take his sweet time when dealing with these issues, since he's more or less going to come back at the exact time period he left.**_

_**Oh, I can't wait! The clash of ideals, the manipulation, the absolutely badass shinobi way of dealing with problems! I WANT IT!**_

_**No word on pairings. You can offer suggestions though. For this month, I'll be working on 'The Reborn Legend', 'The Transcendent Shinobi', 'Black Wind and Bloody Water', and 'A New Legend'. Also, Kamisama Kiss is awesome. Tomoe is the kitsune Inuyasha, meaning he is awesome (I have no idea why I enjoy romcoms but they're awesome)  
><strong>_

_**Read and Review**_

_**MaelstromBankai.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 1: The Strange Boy**

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><p>When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the smell.<p>

It was heavy and tainted, a pungent scent that strangled the natural fragrance of his surroundings. Traces of oil and metal tinged it, sparking some irritation within him.

When he opened his eyes, he was momentarily taken aback by the sheer onslaught of colour that greeted him. Shutting his eyes immediately, he let the pain that had stabbed him dissipate before reopening them slowly.

He was sitting in what appeared to be a little park. It was clean, serene and few people were walking around the place. In the distance, several huge structures could be seen.

Blinking twice, he made to stand up when he noticed a particular detail that he hadn't been paying much attention to.

His hands were tiny. Like a child's.

Anger stirred within his belly as he clenched his fists, his eyes taking in his new smaller form with increased intensity. Throwing himself towards the nearest pond, ignoring the indignant squawk of the couple seated near it, his eyes narrowed as he noted the changes that the Shinigami had made to his body.

His hair was still bleached, meaning the deity hadn't done anything to the Bijuu locked within himself. He was still pale, nothing changed about that. However, when he saw the reflection of his eyes, he scowled.

Rippled eyes stared angrily at him, demanding retribution for their circumstances. Even as he stared, he felt the incredible amount of chakra that flowed through those organs. If he had to compare, he was quite sure that the chakra flowing from his eyes were slightly smaller than Madara's own Rinnegan.

He sighed heavily, smothering the anger within his core. He had not anticipated these turn of events; not only was he a child again, practically at his weakest point, but his extremely useful Sharingan had been traded for what was essentially a less covert-oriented bloodline. He could no longer use Kamui, meaning he would have to adopt a different Taijutsu style to make up for the loss.

Leaning back, he glanced at his hands again. They looked so small compared to his older form, like a twig daring to challenge thick oak.

Pushing chakra into his bones, he narrowed his eyes when he felt the bone move and pierce through his flesh. Since he was in the middle of an exposed area, he had only used enough chakra to expose the tip, preventing anyone other than himself to notice what had happened.

'_So the experiments still hold, huh? How unusually generous of the Shinigami…' _Still, that didn't answer the question of why the Shinigami had given him the Rinnegan. From what Madara had taught him, the only way to obtain the Rinnegan was to mix the chakra and DNA of the Senju and the Uchiha.

The Shinigami shouldn't have been able to break that condition. So…why had it done so?

He was here, not to collect souls for the damned god, but to ensure that the Infinite Tsukuyomi never came to fruition. With him trapped here, being forced to wander about in search of what could be a wild goose chase, the Shinigami was free to go about undermining all that he had worked for.

His fists clenched.

'_No. I can't think of that. Even if it does come to pass, I'll just try again when I get back. The Infinite Dream is necessary for peace…no matter what happens, I promised to make that dream a reality, and I'll be damned if I just give up.'_

Glancing about, he noticed two people coming towards him. The taller woman, a beautiful person, was smiling down at the child beside her. She wore an odd assortment of clothing, but made no other actions.

The smaller person, most likely the woman's daughter, was laughing as she skipped along the path. Her blue dress was noticeable even from his position. She seemed to take after the taller woman.

'_How odd…'_ The little girl looked at him, her face scrunched up in confusion. Pointing at him, she looked back at her mother and asked her something.

He went back to focusing on his chakra, sending his consciousness deep into the seemingly limitless ocean of power. As he dove deeper, he frowned when he reached a section of chakra; it was interacting smoothly with his own, an extension of himself, but the sensation…

Drifting closer, he frowned. _'It feels like Madara…but how?'_

As he travelled further, more inconsistencies were beginning to appear; there was a section that felt like the sun, one that gave off a peaceful and serene aura, and several other sections that were foreign yet familiar.

Retreating, Naruto opened his eyes to glance up at the little girl, who had walked up to him sometime during his reflection. _'What the heck did the Shinigami do to my body?'_

"Ju, uelos? Gy uet yhemu ou uiey iehd pe?"

He blinked. _'You've got to be shitting me…they speak a completely different language?'_ Well, wasn't that just damned peachy. Then again, maybe he should've asked about that when he still had a chance.

Oh well. Hindsight was a bitch.

Still, that meant he'd have to extract the information from the girl, who was questioning him once again. A couple of options came to mind; he could use the Human Path, but was an option that really wasn't viable. For one, he didn't even know how the abilities of the Rinnegan were unlocked, meaning he couldn't tell whether or not it was available for use. Secondly, even if he did have that ability, he sure as hell had no idea how to use it. It was like having Samehada and having no idea how to use a sword.

There was also the Mind Body Switch, but he wasn't proficient at it. Ino had tried her best, but he still hadn't managed to master the jutsu before he came here. Using such a risky technique when he was a child and more likely had screwy chakra control would lead to a rather bad situation for him.

So that left…

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><p>Asami Sato skipped merrily through the park, clutching her mother's hand tightly. It had been a while since she had come back here, her favorite place in the world, and she was happy to return once again.<p>

Everything was as she remembered; nice, clean and relaxing.

But there was one big difference.

There, slumped against the tree by the pond, was a boy. Normally, she'd ignore him and continue along with her Mom, since boys were icky and dirty, but his shiny white hair captivated her. Even with the distance separating them, it glinted in the sun and contrasted beautifully with the greenery.

"Mummy, look! A pretty boy!" She pointed, directing her mother's gaze to the young boy.

"Asami, you know that it's rude to point at people." Nevertheless, Kagura Sato turned towards the boy. He looked young, perhaps a year or two older than her Asami, wearing an odd garb she hadn't seen around Republic City. It wrapped his entire form, with a pattern of odd commas around the high collar. It gave him a contradiction appearance of refinement and nobility, which clashed with his young form.

Still, she had to agree with Asami; that hair was definitely memorable and attractive. "Have you seen him before?"

Asami shook her head, her eyes trained on the odd boy. "No, he wasn't here last time. Can I go play with him?" Her green eyes widened, begging to go.

Kagura smiled, crouching down to Asami's level, "And here I was, thinking that you wanted to play with me today…but, since you're probably wanting to touch his hair, I suppose you can go play with him." Asami cheered, wrapping her hands around Kagura's neck in a quick hug. "I'll be waiting here for you, so when you're done just come here, okay?"

"Got it. Thanks, Mummy!" Dashing off to the boy, Asami wondered if the pretty boy would mind letting her touch his head. Mummy had said that good girls always asked for something, so she couldn't just grab his hair.

Maybe he'd let her do so if she did that thing she saw Mummy did to Daddy? Daddy seemed to like it, so maybe it was something all boys liked, though she wondered why they did it all the time.

With a 'so-so' plan of action, she marched confidently to the pretty boy and smiled. _'He looks really nice. Maybe he doesn't like playing outdoors?' _"Um, hello. Do you want to play with me?"

The boy cocked his head, revealing a strange eye that peeked from underneath a curtain of hair. Asami blinked, wondering why he had those eyes. Was he some kind of bender that bent with his eyes?

He nodded, a sharp birdlike motion that made a smile break out on her face. "Great! Wanna race down the-" Her eyes widened when the boy darted forward, cutting her off by melding his lips with hers. Pulling back, she watched, shocked, as the boy's tongue retreated into his mouth.

Glancing at her, as cool as ever despite what had happened, he arched a brow. "You know, you're pretty naughty for thinking that a kiss would let you touch my hair."

From her vantage point, Kagura nearly tripped over herself. Rising to her feet, she charged towards the two children. Coming to a stop before them, she scowled at the young boy. "Excuse me, but didn't your mother teach you how to behave?" Placing her hands on her hips, she asked, "Why did you force yourself unto her and where are your parents?" She had half a mind to tear his parents a new one; then again, seeing as she had witnessed her daughter being forcefully kissed by a stranger, she felt justified in taking action against his parents.

The boy cocked his head once again, "No, they never taught me how to behave. They taught me that strangers meant more to them than their own flesh and blood."

Kagura stilled, her anger ceasing immediately as she processed what he had said.

'_So…that's why Mummy and Daddy like doing that…' _Suffice to say, Asami wasn't exactly focusing on the words being exchanged.

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><p>Lin Beifong rubbed her forehead as she paced the room, her metal uniform clanging as she moved. Before her sat a young boy, silently watching her as she moved up and down the room. His rippled eyes followed her movements, never breaking the pattern of going back and forth.<p>

Lin paused to glance at the boy, her eyes narrowing as she met the strange eyes once again. Even though there had been reports of people bending with their minds, such as the case with the mercenary Fire Lord Zuko had once set upon the Avatar, there was just something unsettling about the boy and his eyes.

Kagura had visited her about half an hour ago, dragging along a little boy. From what she understood, the boy said something that made her believe he was abused by his parents.

"Alright kid, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and I need you to answer them as honestly as you can." She sat down heavily, crossing her arms.

The boy smiled. The sudden and terrifying smile she saw seemed more appropriate on a demon. "Shinra Tensei."

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><p>From afar, Naruto watched as the Metalbending Police Headquarters exploded. Seated on the giant statue of Aang, the young boy stared over the city as screams of fear and chaos began to spread. From his location, he could see practically every place within the city.<p>

Leaning back, he contemplated what he had learned.

The Avatar was in the Southern Water Tribe, recently discovered by the members of the Order of the White Lotus. Apparently, she was finishing up her Waterbending training and would soon move on to Earthbending if she passed her testing.

When word of the Avatar's presence had been released, four individuals had tried to kidnap her. There wasn't much information on why they had done so, or what they were trying to achieve by doing so, but that didn't matter. They were a possible threat, one that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

That was why he was even here to begin with.

Furthermore, there were rumors of a terrorist group wafting round Republic City. Apparently benders were oppressing the non-benders and creating a rift between the two groups. He'd leave that to the Avatar to deal with.

While he was sure there would be more obstacles to come, his first and most important priority would be to familiarize himself with his new body and get back his strength.

Glancing at the island in the distance, Naruto sighed.

If only he could Kamui over there…

Still, his clones would keep him updated whenever they made an important discovery. Until he had a decent idea of where the Southern Water Tribe was, along with a map of the world, he would have to stay within Republic City.

Perhaps his time would be better spent with Aang's son?

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><p><strong>AN: I have only one excuse for my lack of updates: Fate/stay night. I'm kicking myself for dismissing Visual Novels when I first heard of them. Anyone know any good Naruto and Fate/stay night crossovers?**

**So. Sasuke's in 'The Last'…way to take out what little tension the coming fight had Kishimoto. Now I know that Sasuke's going to be redeemed again (though I already expected something like that) and my hatred for you just grows to even higher levels. Too bad the Spirit Bomb didn't use hate; if it did, I bet several million people would've crafted one the size of maybe Jupiter to kill Kishi.**

**Don't you just love it when you're screwed over by a deity you know you can't take? **

**No word on pairings. Maybe Asami. Or Korra. Maybe both of them. Then again, maybe none. Still taking suggestions.**

**Read and Review,**

**MaelstromBankai.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 2: First Target**

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><p>Off the coast of Republic City in Yue Bay, an island rested peacefully. Housing many structures, including the large main temple building, a library, a dining hall, a greenhouse, and several flying bison caves. An open practice area with airbending gates could be found outside along with a meditation pavilion. It was within this island that the Last Airbender, as he was known across the globe, and his wife resided in.<p>

Naruto eyed the island before him, calmly walking across the water that separated it from Republic City. It had taken a few hours to get used to the basics of his new body, especially his new chakra system, but he had managed to relearn the water walking technique before the end of the day.

Now, as he slowly made his way towards the island, he flexed his hands. Slowly going through the hand-seals, making sure that his speed wouldn't be impaired and lead to a defeat, he went through the seals necessary for all his jutsu.

Madara and Obito had drilled the essence of speed into his head, as a Shinobi with quicker hands could end the battle before the opponent could react. It had served him well throughout the years, especially during the skirmish with Kumogakure. Had he not been as quick as he had been, the Nibi jinchuuriki would've more than likely won that battle.

However, even with his success, it still wasn't enough for him. The frown on his face deepened as he recalled the strength of his old body; he had been one of the most dangerous Shinobi the Elemental Nations had seen since Hashirama and Madara, a terror that spread fear with his presence alone.

To see all that hard work and time used in reaching his full potential wasted on the whims of the Shinigami...

_**"You seem upset. This might present a new opportunity for you, Naruto-chan."**_

Naruto scowled. _'When did you wake up, Zetsu?_' There was no mistaking the voice in his head; Zetsu, the consciousness of the Progenitor. He had initially believed it to be a manifestation of Madara's will, but that all changed when it approached him with an interesting proposition.

He could almost hear the smile on the strange creature's face. _**"I've been awake the entire time, ever since you first woke up. This place made me curious, so I kept to myself and made a few observations."**_ There was a chuckle, _**"Imagine my surprise when your clones discovered that little tidbit about this place. I'll admit that their 'bending' is more versatile than the elemental jutsu we use, but they have only one element as their weapon."**_

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You see them as worthless."

_**"And you don't? The Airbender fights to defend, never to kill; earthbenders are too slow and rarely think of incorporating creativity to their fighting styles; waterbenders are essentially twigs before the might of Amaterasu's flames and the firebenders would only give you more strength with their flames. Why would they pose a threat, especially to your new eyes?"**_

_'You must be under the assumption that I actually know how to use the Rinnegan.'_ Naruto pointed out, watching as the island neared him.

_**"And you forget that I have seen the Shinobi world through its conception? There is nothing I don't know about the Rinnegan, and it would be beneficial for you to master their powers as soon as possible."**_

Naruto stopped. _'Why bother with those powers right now? Kaguya's spirit is trapped within the Elemental Nations, not the Bending Nations. All I need right now is to relearn what I know and get on with this stupid soul hunting...mastering the Rinnegan is not a priority right now. However,' _he stressed, _'it would be stupid of me to not make use of such a powerful tool.'_

Hidden within the seal, Zetsu's grin widened. _**"Of course. Still, I wonder why you're interested in this young brat. Other than information, what do you get from approaching him?"**_

Naruto shrugged, resuming his journey towards Air Temple Island. "No idea, though I can hazard a guess. Most likely treasures of the Air Nation that could be sought after over the globe. I still don't have a means of creating their currency, so selling off some of his items should solve that problem."

When they were close enough to see the trees and stairs, Zetsu urged him to stop. "What?" Naruto asked.

_**"I figured that now may be as good as any time to teach you one special ability of your new eyes."**_

"Oh?"

_**"Channel chakra into your left eye, enough to create two Rasenshuriken, and imagine yourself in the position of that branch up there."**_

Naruto arched a brow, but did as Zetsu instructed, imagining himself at the exact position of the branch up ahead. Due to his earlier practice, he could allow his mind to focus on the image in his mind.

Suddenly, his feet weren't making contact with water. He immediately stuck to the tree, eyes wide as he found himself on the island, at the exact position he had imagined himself appearing. Glancing back at the sea, he just caught sight of the branch sinking into the deep beyond.

_'A Space-Time ninjutsu? How...'_

_**"Seems the Shinigami left a few surprises in this new body of yours to find; that ability was something Kaa-sama used, albeit sparingly. Perhaps the other fragments within you hold such secrets and powers..."**_

Shaking his head, Naruto silently dropped to the earth. Since he hadn't regained enough chakra to perform some of the incredibly useful infiltration jutsu in his arsenal, he would have to sneak about the area. Just like the old times.

Well, without the threat of being killed by several top-class Shinobi.

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><p>Tenzin sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead as his headache intensified. He was in his study, furiously going through the various reports compiled by the Metalbending Police Force about the mysterious explosion that had occurred in the morning.<p>

According to witness reports, Lin had been questioning a young boy who Kagura Sato had brought to the Police Station when a hidden bomb had exploded. As they searched for survivors, they had confirmed that Chief Beifong was heavily injured...but they were only able to reclaim the child's headless corpse from the wreckage.

The station had been damaged substantially, crippling the police force and the criminals of Republic City were all too eager to take advantage of their weakened state. Furthermore, several confidential records and files had gone missing during the confusion.

The Mayor of the city had given a speech to try and calm the people, but Tenzin knew it wouldn't be enough. The fear of unknowingly having a bomb planted in their homes and workplaces made it difficult for them to trust the Council, especially since it had happened at the Police Force headquarters, which had been seen as an impenetrable and invincible first line of defense.

In all honesty, Tenzin couldn't blame them. He had spent the past week searching the island for any such hidden bombs, going so far as to enlist the help of the White Lotus and secure guards for Pema and himself. With their eldest child expected any moment from now, he wasn't comfortable taking any chances.

"What a disaster..." He mumbled. The pictures he had seen of the injured and dead were stuck in his mind, echoing his thoughts. With a stab of guilt, he realized that he still hadn't gone to see Lin yet.

With Toph missing, presumed dead, and Sue still keeping to herself in Zhao Fu, he was the only one she could probably count on in this situation...and he hadn't even thought about her once.

He winced again, recalling the happy times they had spent together. "I suppose I could spare the rest of the day for a visit..."

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><p>Naruto watched, curious, as Aang's youngest son stood up and headed out of the room. Even though he had erased his presence, it was still odd for the man to not feel something wrong or strange about the situation.<p>

Then again, the man looked like he was about to drop like a rock and snooze his life away, so he couldn't possibly be sharp enough to listen to his danger sense.

Getting past the various guards and servants had been easy enough; using the transformation jutsu at the right time left them none the wiser that an intruder was penetrating through their defenses. Having spied a flying odd chimera of lemur and bat, Naruto had used it as a disguise and slipped through them, though he made a note to learn about the various animals the world had and which were native to any particular area.

Dropping down from the ceiling, Naruto landed on his feet with little noise and glanced round. The room was relatively clean and organized, clearly arranged in a way that allowed the Airbender to make efficient use of his space. There were a few ornaments decorating the room, but nothing that screamed 'valuable!' could be seen.

Still, he hadn't fully explored the island just yet, so there was the possibility that something of interest was right in front of him.

_**"Why are you even here, anyway? Weren't you going to eliminate those four criminals?"**_

Naruto glanced at the documents that were on the desk, quirking a brow when he saw the picture of a corpse. "Seems like the Mokubunshin his having fun. To answer your question, it would take a considerable amount of time to just get to the prison for one of them, let alone all four. Secondly, even if I did manage to travel the distance, I'm going to need more than my current skills to sneak in, dispose of them and get away without raising any alarm. Finally, I need to understand the land before I even think of going after them."

Catching sight of a book, Naruto picked it up and began leafing through it. There were several little notes scribbled along the margin, little bits of commentary on the words. When he looked at the back, he noted the name that was written. "Guru Pathik, huh?"

Looking through the sheets once more, his eyes narrowed when he saw one word. Chakra. Scanning the text thoroughly, he found his interest rising. "Well, well, well...looks like the Avatar is more similar than I thought to Shinobi."

Slipping the book into his robe, he began searching for anything of value.

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><p>Kurgan yawned heavily, scratching his head as he and his partner continued their patrol round Air Temple Island. Last night had been terrible; not only had he been assigned a consecutive night and day shift, which was horrible no matter how you looked at it, but he had the misfortune to be paired up with Doku and Sasha.<p>

Doku was an idiot. There was no other way to describe him. He was a big guy, a pretty good Earthbender at that, with usual features of people from the Earth Kingdom. However, due to his noticeable lack of intelligence, many people in the White Lotus didn't like working with him. Sasha, on the other hand...

"Quit yawning, you ingrate. We still have another hour until the next shift, and I don't want to spend it watching your ugly mug opening and closing." Speak of the devil...

Sasha...well, she was hot. And kind of a bitch. The daughter of an accomplished Earthbender, she was a very proud and stubborn person who had a little issue with her temper. Several of the other guards didn't like working with her, as she was constantly mouthing off to their bending skills and attitude towards her.

Kurgan glared at her, though his eyes dropped for a second to admire her derrière. Damn hot woman. "You're a real gem, you know. Really."

She turned back to him, her beautiful features set in a harsh scowl. "Would you just shut up and focus on your job?! If anything comes to harm Lord Tenzin and Lady Pema, I will personally hold you responsible for it!"

Kurgan growled, his frustration spilling over its threshold. "Listen here, you-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sudden sensation; it was like he was being squeezed through a narrow space, compacting his form into a small little cube. Collapsing to the ground, his chest heaving and pained, he weakly wondered what he was doing in Lord Tenzin's study before he blacked out.

Immediately after shifting himself with the male guard he had seen approaching, Naruto wasted no time in restraining the other one. Substituting himself with a rock, he dashed towards the woman.

She was quick on the uptake, immediately bending three rocks towards him. As the rocks hurtled towards him, she spun round and thrust her hands upwards, sending the earth before him to encase.

Darting about the projectiles, Naruto flipped through some hand-seals. A large stream of fire spewed out of his mouth, slamming into the approaching wall of earth. The impact shattered the earth, dulling the flames as well, but the attack kept charging towards her.

Getting into a stance, she prepared to raise the earth and form a barrier, only for a hand to grab her ankle. Looking down in shock, she saw the barest glimmer of light before lightning surged through her body.

Screaming in pain, she spasmed uncontrollably for a few moments before the hand let go, making her stagger right into Naruto's punch.

Watching her drop like a rock, Naruto grabbed her and kissed her deeply. Sending his chakra through her mind, he searched for anything he could find on the Order of the White Lotus. After a few moments passed, he disengaged from her lips, a trail of spit connecting them.

"I see…the White Lotus is concentrated at the Southern Water Tribe, where the Avatar was discovered." Naruto uncaringly dropped the woman, already turning in the direction of the South Pole. There wasn't much valuable information in the guard's head, but he was sure he'd find more answers at their Headquarters.

Focusing chakra into his feet, he took off into a sprint, once again lamenting the loss of his extremely convenient Kamui ability.

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><p>In the halls of the Sato Manor, Asami clutched her pillow tightly as she walked down the stairs. She had woken up in the middle of the night, thirsty, and had decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.<p>

Ever since her mother had told her of what had happened earlier at the Police Station, the once friendly and safe feeling she had associated with her home had diminished greatly. The dark shadows that she had once dismissed now seemed a lot more sinister than before.

Swallowing nervously, she hurried along down the stairs.

Unseen by the little girl, hidden in the darkness, two men nodded to each other. "Grab the girl, and I'll go for Hiroshi's wife." One instructed.

"I have a better idea," Both of them stiffened as two arms slung themselves over their forms, "Why don't you two help me out a little? All I'll need are your souls."

Before they could react, hands clamped round their mouths. Something sharp pierced their hearts. Something gripped their essence, pulling it out like tissue.

Asami Sato remained unaware, innocently gulping down water just a room away from the scene.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you like this chapter.**

**Next chapter will be the meeting you've all been waiting for, Naruto encountering Korra! **

**Read and review,**

**Maelstrombankai.**


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